The best onion ring recipe of all time

Many of us have tried beer batters — most commonly used in classic dishes like fish and chips, shrimp tempura, and even fried pickles — but have you ever heard of a prosecco batter? Yes, you read correctly: prosecco, the Italian equivalent to Champagne. Since this sparkling wine is so effervescent, it makes for a light, crisp, and tender batter perfect for making onion rings.

Carbonated beverages are regularly used in onion ring batter recipes because the bubbles in these refreshments add more lift and airiness to the crust than regular water would. Taking this into consideration, we went to work taste-testing deep-fried onion rings, using different bubbly drinks in the batter, to see what works the best.

First we tried using some of our favorite beers, and unfortunately found that the batter had a tendency to be too overbearing with hoppy flavors. Next, we used club soda, but we recognized that it simply didn't add any additional taste or aroma to the onion rings.

Surprisingly, prosecco worked the best, adding just the right amount of fizziness and delicately sweet flavor to the batter, resulting in a lacy, crisp crust that elevates the humble onion ring into something completely addicting. The best part: Our prosecco-battered onion ring recipe uses less than half of a bottle, leaving you the rest to drink and enjoy. After you're done with your onion rings and your prosecco, there's still a good use for that wine in another bubbly drink — the white wine spritzer is back, and it's time to get on board.